Re: [IC-info] Appreciative Inquiry

As a matter of fact, appreciative inquiry is one of the processes we have
used within the context of the Fellowship for Intentional Community. 
Geoph & Lotus (& others?) introduced it at our Fall FIC Organizational
Meeting last year (which will be in Florida this year).  Empowerment is
probably the most important elemental outcome of this exercise.  We have
managed to gain a focus on regional networking, in part, because of this
exercise.  This has helped lead us to a number of progressive changes
within the context of intentional community, helping to expand the concept
into the larger community, integrating 'other' activities into our
efforts, ic's (and their previous residents) joining forces to collaborate
on projects.  St. Louis has made practically unimaginable strides toward
the development of additional cooperative business activity -- hold on
tight, we're taking a fast ride here...  What is needed now is for us to
link up, pull together in a big way, connecting our communities with bus
lines -- biodiesel, 'pure gold, not Texas tea'!.

Speaking of which, shall we have few regional communities conferences this
fall to nail down some of the details for connecting our communities at a
managable, personal relationship building, concentirc circle based
transformational development level.  Eastwind, you there -- how's about a
fall Ozarklahoma Regional Communities Conference on your land?  Anyone up
for it in the Great Plains -- Columbia, Missouri perhaps?  The Mississippi
Corridor -- St. Louis may very well have the new computer lab and
conference center ready soon?  Great Lakes -- how's about Ann Arbor or
Detroit, in conjunction with (immediately before and/or after) the North
American Students of Cooperation Institute/conference?  Bloomington,
Indiana area for the 'central midwest' (Indotuckyana Region).  Another one
at The Farm -- 'The Kid's' done with the new conference center yet?

Let me and us know, I'll do everything I and we possibly can to help make
it (regional conferences) happen -- "We can make it happen, yeah" -- what
Chicago song is that the ending of?

-- More inspiration from Chicago --
(I've been) Searchin' So Long:
As my love goes on I believe
Somehow something's changed
Something deep inside -- ooh, part of me!
There's a strange new light in my eyes
Things I've never know
Changing my life == changin' me
I've been searchin' so long 'to find an answer'
Now I know my life has meaning, oh-oh...

My father and brother were fixin' to make a solar steam engine.  It's a
shame my father who just passed away a couple weeks ago never had the
chance to ride one of OUR busses...  How many more will lose that
opportunity -- how many more will have that opportunity, the sooner the
better we connect our regions, our communities, our compassion... 
"Feeling stronger everyday -- alright, now..."  (I just passed through
Chicago on my way back yesterday so they're on my mind.)

> Social and cultural change is moving through corporate, religious,
> tax-exempt and governmental organizations!  One method of that
> change is the organizational development process called Appreciative
> Inquiry, which actually includes many concepts also found in native
> cultures around the world.
>
> Following is my explanation of Appreciative Inquiry.  More info can
> be found at the URLs at the bottom.  I'm sharing this with many in
> the communities movement, the Green Party and others.
>
> Is anyone else here familiar with Appreciative Inquiry?  This
> process is quickening change….
> Allen
>
> ***
>
>
> Appreciative Inquiry:  Overview of the Theory and Application
>
>
>
> When people focus on human ideals, achievements, peak experiences
> and best practices these things-not the conflicts-tend to flourish.
> Choosing to learn from moments of joy, wonder and excellence can be
> unusually effective in improving organizations.
>
>
> The premise of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is that organizations grow
> in the direction in which they focus their attention.  People grow
> in much the same way, and therefore an organization must:
>
> *  empower its members to believe that they can make a difference,
> *  reward leaders who empower others,
> *  direct the energy of the system toward generative and creative
> forces.
>
>
> The search for solutions to problems is recognized in Appreciative
> Inquiry as an openness to change.  Change in the way that issues are
> explained, in beliefs of what is "real," in the basic priorities of
> what to pursue and choices of what ends to serve, and change in a
> world view as a coherent whole or paradigm.  Change in how our
> society organizes itself, or in our consensusal reality involve "new
> paradigm" concepts of:
>
> *  quantum physics - change in particle theory from individual parts
> and linear events to interconnectivity and multiple possibilities,
> such as the observer affecting the observed
> *  chaos theory - very simple, previously predictable patterns
> become complex and unpredictable, leading to new levels or forms of
> order, such as weather patterns, fractals
> *  self-organizing systems - complex and unpredictable situations
> evolve into more ordered patterns, such as with living organisms,
> ecological systems, and social change subcultures
> *  complexity theory - an emerging reality or wholeness can not be
> predicted from the sum of its parts, "chaordic" structures merge
> chaos and order and are nonlinear, discontinuous
>
>
> The social science of organizational development is moving beyond
> the classical mechanics of seeing the universe as a machine, and
> human behavior as governed by a natural hierarchy with individual
> parts reacting to force or coercion, toward new paradigm
> organizations viewing chaos as a stage in the process of renewal and
> revitalization, where information sharing is the organizing force,
> diversity of relationships energizes teams, and a shared vision
> provides the context toward which behaior gravitates and is
> aligned.  New paradigm organizations involve:
>
> *  shared leadership - where leadership is a function, not a
> position, accepted by individuals when their skills and interests
> are applied appropriately, recognizing morale as essential to
> productivity, that learning opportunities motivate people, and that
> traditional roles such as "director" may be collaborative or
> rotational
> *  high-tech/high-touch communication - assuring collaboration and
> partnership at every level through face-to-face conversations,
> travel to meetings, and multiple electronic communications
> technologies providing options for varieties of information sharing
> *  learning organizations - providing flexible systems accommodating
> change according to circumstances and new information, giving
> adequate time to share knowledge and skills, and constantly studying
> their field, deriving theory and insights grounded in their own
> experiences and applying it in their ongoing projects and processes
> *  multi-locational organizations, partnerships and alliances - in
> which coordinating units may be in multiple centers or moving as
> required, and multiple cooperative arrangements may exist for
> planning and program delivery as well as education and training
> *  task competence and process focus - encouraging people to be both
> skilled in their area of expertise as well as competent in human
> processes of interpersonal communication and group collaboration for
> win-win solutions
> *  values and vision centering - affirming that tasks change,
> multiply and transform themselves in harmony with the values and
> vision agreed upon by the organizations "community" of stakeholders
> at every level, holding together an organizational awareness by the
> power and clarity of their shared values and vision
>
>
> Appreciative Inquiry is an organizational philosophy supporting
> learning and renewal through:
>
> *  widespread inquiry, helping participants perceive the need for
> change, explore new possibilities, and contribute to solutions,
> *  customized interview guides eliciting stories of high performance
> from members of the organization, for igniting transformative
> dialogue and action,
> *  alignment of the organization's formal and informal structures
> with its purpose and principles, translating shared vision into
> reality and belief into practice.
>
>
> Applying the power of positive inquiry involves framing questions
> that focus upon positive thinking, such as by asking organizational
> members (one-on-one, face-to-face interviews):
> *  tell a story of when you were working in a team when performance
> was high and you felt engaged and valued; what were you and the
> others doing?
> *  what external or organizational factors were present that
> supported this positive experience?
> *  how might this team function if we could expand the conditions
> that led to past successes?
>
>
> Different from most behavioral approaches to organizational
> management which focus upon changing people, Appreciative Inquiry
> invites people to engage in building the kind of organization and
> community in which they want to work and live.  AI uses
> a "collaborative discovery" of economic, ecological and human
> effectiveness, which is then woven into the organization's formal
> and informal systems, from how people organize themselves for
> accomplishing tasks to how they develop and implement business
> strategies.
>
>
>
> The AI process enables human systems to engage in continuous
> learning, and to translate that learning into ongoing innovation.
> Uncovering and supporting people's passions, skills, knowledge,
> experience and successes excite and mobilize them to implement
> innovations that they may never before have thought possible.
> Through encouraging and supporting individuals in identifying and
> sharing their stories of excellence, the organization may then re-
> conceptualize and transform its purpose, processes, and design in
> ways that support its most generative forces and ongoing success.
>
>
>
> How AI Works: Five Generic Processes Guided by Five Core Principles
>
> Constructionist Principle - Organizations evolve in the direction of
> the images we create based upon the questions we ask as we strive to
> understand the systems at work.
>
> Principle of Simultaneity - Change begins the moment we ask
> questions.
>
> Anticipatory Principle - Behavior in the present is influenced by
> the future we anticipate.
>
> Poetic Principle - Just as poets have no constraints on what they
> write, we have no boundaries on what we can inquire about and from
> which we can learn.
>
> Positive Principle - The more positive the questions used to build a
> change process, the more long-lasting and effective that process
> will be.
>
>
>
> Five Generic Processes of the Appreciative Inquiry Cycle:
>
> Define - Choose the positive as the focus of inquiry; a positive
> topic statement as interview guide.
>
> Discover - Discover the best of what is. Inquire into exceptionally
> positive moments (interviews).
>
> Dream - Imagine what might be.  Share the stories and identify life-
> giving forces (highlights).
>
> Design - Dialogue what should be.  Create shared images of a
> preferred future (themes).
>
> Deliver /Destiny - Create what will be. Innovate and improvise ways
> to create that future (actions).
>
>
>
> Helpful Conditions for Implementing the Process of Appreciative
> Inquiry:
>
> Humble Beginnings: honestly acknowledge current difficulties without
> assigning blame, and invite co-construction of solutions that do not
> yet exist.
>
> Congruence of Means and Ends: directly involve the people most
> affected by the changes desired, and specifically identify the
> desired end in a positive statement
>
> History as a Source of Innovation:  accessing the "positive core" of
> the organization's founding philosophy and history can be a source
> of new possibilities
>
> Focus Beyond the Event:  learning and change is not a one-time event
> arriving at a point of excellence, but a process for creating a
> culture open to learning and discovering new possibilities
>
> Stories More than Numbers:  as stories of "exceptional moments"
> capture the wholeness of meaning they can be more helpful than
> quantification by numbers in leading to creative innovations
>
>
> ***
>
> The Appreciative Inquiry process is scalable, from small groups to
> large, and is being used to address issues of varying complexity
> from interpersonal communication to paradigmatic changes in human
> awareness.  Processes from other organizational development systems
> are continually being added.
>
>
> Appreciative Process (Bushe, Clear Leadership, pp 155-180):
>
> Develop an appreciative mind-set
> Be clear about what you want MORE of, not less
> Track it, fan it, and involve others in a fanfare!
>     Praise it - call attention to what is positive that has happened
>     Bless it - give license to continue and ask for more
>
>
> www.CenterforAppreciativeInquiry.net
> www.CompanyofExperts.net
> www.AppreciativInquiry.cwru.edu
>
>
>
>
> Condensed by A. Allen Butcher from:  Bernard Mohr and Jane Magruder
> Watkins, "The Essentials of Appreciative Inquiry," Pegasus
> Communications, Innovations in Management Series, 2002, Waltham, MA,
> and "Appreciative Inquiry for Organization Change: A Workshop
> Resource Book," authors.
>
>
>
>
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LuVinnYa